Many of you may have heard about hidden features from a friend, relative, someone in your circle, or even your mechanic — or perhaps you overheard a group chatting about cars and caught the topic of hidden features.
So what are these hidden features in vehicles?
Before answering that question, readers of this article will likely picture their own vehicle as they read.
You may own an older or newer car and wonder whether these features exist in your vehicle and which ones you can activate.
Vehicles are offered to consumers in many different trim packages.
The features and options of these packages are integrated into the vehicle.
These differences determine pricing.
To give an example, the drive mode button is not offered in every trim of the Volkswagen Passat.
On cars with a drive mode button, steering stiffness can be adjusted using this button. However, on vehicles without this button, the features exist but the drive mode button is omitted so those cars can be sold at a lower price than models equipped with the button.
The question in the title — what is a hidden feature? — comes into play here: through coding, these existing features in the vehicle are brought to light.
- Automatically closing the sunroof and windows when you press and hold the remote button for 2 seconds
- Preventing the vehicle from swerving or lurching during hard acceleration
- DWA confirmation sound when arming/disarming on vehicles with alarm readiness
- Turning daytime running lights on and off from the MFA trip computer screen
- Gauge greeting animation
- Fog lights flashing when high beams are activated
- Right mirror tilting down when reverse gear is engaged
- Enabling climate profile
- Enabling American parking lights
- Showing fan speed while climate is in auto mode
- Using fog lights as daytime running lights, and more.
Many such features have become hidden features and are activated on vehicles outside the relevant trim packages.
The examples above are written for general vehicles and may not apply to every car.
Another important question people researching this topic may ask is: why are these existing features not enabled at the factory?
The first reason, as everyone might guess, is commercial — but it does not stop there.
Features that could cause safety problems, such as disabling seat belt warnings or starting the vehicle without pressing the brake pedal, are not activated at production so that people can use their vehicles safely.
This is also an important factor for brand value.
Another common question is: do these procedures harm the vehicle?
These procedures can be applied with peace of mind because they do not damage the vehicle's electronic or mechanical components.
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